Two new forms of seasonal work visas will give farmers and growers better access and certainty for securing skilled staff in specialised roles, says Federated Farmers.
Feds immigration and employment spokesperson, Karl Dean said the Government had listened carefully to what industries need to keep productivity ticking over, and responded with practical and balanced policy settings.
“Federated Farmers and allied sector representatives have been working with Minister Erica Stanford and her officials on this and we’re pleased with the outcome,” said Mr Dean.
“It will really give employers a lot more certainty to know those specialised workers who prove themselves can return here for subsequent seasons for three years under the new Global Workforce Seasonal Visa.”
He said the new Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV) will give farmers, rural contractors and the meat processing industry more confidence they can secure staff when seasonal workloads ramp up.
“Calf rearers, relief milkers, wool handlers, meat boners and process workers can also find work around the world.”
“Until now, the Working Holiday Visa has served as a pseudo seasonal visa for these kinds of workers, but not all countries can access this visa, and age restrictions cut people out from applying.
“The PSV is more practical for both employers and seasonal workers and should prove much better for tracking uptake and seasonal workforce needs.”
Employers will need to advertise these seasonal roles, and engage with the Ministry of Social Development, to ensure New Zealand workers continue to be prioritised.
“Farmers prefer to hire able Kiwis but the fact is they’re often just not willing or available to work in the more remote rural areas,” Mr Dean says.
“Having the option of employing migrant workers provides a much-needed lifeline for many farming employers.
“Without them, productivity suffers and existing team members are at risk of burning out during seasonal peak workloads.
“Now we just need a smooth transition for highly skilled agricultural workers into ‘green list’ roles and pathways to permanent residency,” he said. “We’ll continue to work with the Minister on that.”
